Trade-offs also needed for citizens’ emotional well-being

I refer to Mr Chong Lee Ming’s letter “Trade-offs needed to solve Singapore’s challenges” (July 16).

While he is right that individuals and our nation face trade-offs in terms of career and economic growth, respectively, we could also have fast-growing industries where the locals may not have the skills, and foreign talents could fill the gaps. On the other hand, we have some small and medium enterprises that try to compete on cost, and not on quality. The cost savings would involve sourcing cheaper goods from suppliers and giving staff less-competitive wages.

Our educational system has won accolades in international competitions, particularly science and mathematics, and I believe the current generation of students are well equipped to deal with future challenges. However, with increased competition and the increasing stress, might we be neglecting their emotional well-being and affecting their sense of compassion?

Parents are putting more pressure on children. Companies are demanding more from employees for less, as evidenced by the increasing multitasking and workloads.

Hence, trade-offs are also needed for citizens to achieve a sense of emotional well-being. For companies seeking to increase profits, there are also compromises to be made in terms of providing more resources for manpower and training.